Customer Reviews
Rachel is back - By: Amazon Reviewer, 26 Nov 2008 
and shows how simple & versatile baking can be, with 'BAKE'!
Looking for that special Christmas gift?
How about a SIGNED copy, from the much-loved Irish cook & TV presenter, 'BAKE' Signed Edition - also available at Amazon, at a sensible price.
In this cookbook to accompany the TV series of the same name, Rachel once again offers the delicious, non-patronising & easy-to-follow recipes for which she has become famous.
From the introduction:-
'Baking has always been one of my greatest joys. I have such happy memories of my sister & I when we were little standing on kitchen chairs so that we could help Mum make biscuits or buns for the family. Even today, the wonderful warm aromas of baking bread, cakes or cookies always transports me back to those times.......
There is no mystery to baking, baking is a simple science which is precisely why it is so satisfying.......it is really just the right ingredientsin the right quantities!
I have chosen my favourite baking recipesin this collection to give you a wide range of delicious treats & meals that can be bakedin your oven. ....there are also many special recipes for those once-in-a-while occasions & celebrations.
If you can master a set of weighing scales, then you have all the skills you need to bake.......so what are you waiting for?
Get that pinny on & start baking!'
And, 'Bake' encourages just that, with clear & simply laid out recipes with an upper case title, quantity made, a descriptive sentence or two, the list of ingredients & the numbered method & any variations, tips or serving ideas.
Durable board covers open to 288 high quality matt pages, split over 9 chapters:-
Sweet mouthfuls
Cakes
Puddings
Breads & savoury bites
Tarts & pies
Breakfast & patisserie
Baked meals
Holiday & celebration
Basic recipes & techniques, which includes equipment
sandwiched between an introduction & a glossary.
Completed with a concise index & a pastel blue ribbon to keep your place!
Recipes, which sometimes span more than one page, include:-
GINGER AND HONEY SNAPS
BAKEWELL BARS
LIGHT SWEET SCONES
ECCLES CAKES
FAIRY CAKES (butterfly buns)
BUTTER-FREE SPONGE CAKE
DUTCH APPLE CAKE
RED VELVET CAKE
KUGELHOPF
SWISS ROLL
CHOCOLATE CAKE
BAKED ALASKA
RASPBERRY JAM STEAMED PUDDING
EASY SODA FOCACCIA
BALLYMALOE WHITE SODA BREAD
CORNISH SAFFRON BREAD
CHICKEN AND LEEK PIE
QUICHE LORRAINE
TARTE TATIN
BAGELS
WAFFLES
BAKED BREAKFAST OMELETTE
CROISSANTS
ECLAIRS
BAKED RED LENTIL DHAL
SIMPLE SAUSAGE AND BEAN BAKE
PORK, SPINACH AND MUSHROOM LASAGNE
COTTAGE PIE
PARTY DOUGHNUTS
and......
..... not forgetting Mum-in-law's:-
DARINA'S SIMNEL CAKE!
Or........with the holiday season just around the corner......
CHRISTMAS PUDDING WITH BOOZY TOFFEE SAUCE
CHRISTMAS CAKE
MARZIPAN
MINCEMEAT
ST STEPHEN'S DAY MUFFINS
My favourites...so.... far include:-
BAKED BROWN SUGAR CUSTARDS
'These gorgeous & very simple little desserts are a somewhat like crème caramels or French `flan'. The brown sugar adds a delicious rich, toffee-ish flavour, & this is further enhanced if you brûlée it with a blow torch`.....to make it a lovely crunchy top, as advised by Rachel's closing tip!
and
CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES
'These gorgeous little puddings should be deliciously spongy on the outside & moltenin the centre. Do not overcook them or they will be set all the way through.
They are delicious served with vanilla ice cream.
and they sure are!
More patient cooks than me could try their hand at:-
the 'GINGERBREAD HOUSE AND PEOPLE' recipe, complete with plan.......which takes over 2 hours but well worth the effort, I am sure!
This superb book is finished with a very comprehensive 'Basic Recipes & Techniques' section, including step-by-step photographyin places.
Basic recipes include pastry, white bread, sponge cake, meringue, crystallised flowers, icings, chocolate curls, sauces, & strawberry jam.
Footnote:-
The opening notes on the recipes arein quite a small typeface & arein pastel shades, so can be a little hard to readin places.
Most but not all of the recipes include a full colour photograph, but often an 'on-location' shot rather than one of the completed item. This may be slightly negative to those of us who like to see what we are aiming for on the plate!
However,in my opinion, it would only drop maybe half a star not a complete one for this!
All-in-all, this book is a super addition to any cookery shelf, & likely to gather flour marks rather than dust!
Perfect Start - By: A. Lucas, 21 Nov 2008 My children & I loved the television series which was an ideal partner with the book. Our nine year old who has never baked before found the lemon tart easy to make. I had never made one before & was also surprised how easy it was. I therefore became more adventurous & tried the Baklava which is rated as intermediate. Again the instructions were easy to follow & the results brought back memories of when we last had some on our Greek Holiday. This book seems to fill a gapin the market as other cook books seem to require attendance at a cookery school beforehand. I would therefore recommend this to anyone who has not baked before as the instructions are easy to follow & you will be encouraged to try even more adventurous recipes.
Another winner from Rachel Allen - By: UMA, 09 Nov 2008 
This girl knows her baking! If cakes, breads & pastry are normally a struggle then look no further. Rachel Allen shows you how to get top results & best of all she makes it easy.Recipes That Really Work
Pretty Good Cook Book - By: Mrs. H. Chahal, 07 Nov 2008 As a fairly amateur but keen cook, I wholeheratedly agree with all the other reviewers. This is a good little cook book. I also would have preferred each recipe to have a photo so I know what it looks like & whether I have cooked it right! I am not keen on the typefont either, but having said that, there are great tips (asin her accompanying series) & I do love the end section on jams, sauces etc. One that I will be using quite a bit.
Highly reliable and oh so enjoyable recipes - By: Becster, 06 Nov 2008 Having watched some of the 'Bake' series on UK food, I was inspired to buy this accompanying cookbook.
And very pleased I am too, as the book far exceeds my expectations.
Rachel writesin an easy to follow, non-patronising way, giving clear & reliable instructions. The recipes are accurate, giving good results. Rachel also offers top tips (try rolling pastryin cling film - genius!)and ways to vary things to suit you.
The illustrations are mouthwatering, & so far all my versions look pretty similar! (Current top favourites are the Fresh cream sponge roll, & the pretty swirled meringues).
It has inspired me to bake, lots lots more, & to great success & appreciation of friends & family.
I cant recommend 'Bake' enough, for amateur & expreienced cooks alike.
P.S. I believe the series is being broadcast on the BBC soon - I recommend watching that too if you can, simply brilliant.
